Star
by Anita
Summary: Om Shanti Om could have been their blockbuster. She could have been his star.


Star

With one glance, she had taken his breath away. No one could ever deny that Shantipriya was an extremely beautiful woman, and even the gallant Mukesh Mehra was not immune to her charms.

Every sweet smile and playful laugh she gave him spurred him on. Shanti was his newest challenge and he would never be denied. With the brush of his hand against hers or a sparkling softness in his gaze, bit by bit he drew her to him. She would be his ultimate possession.

Shanti was strong-willed. She could be wooed, but she would not compromise her morals. He placed a hand on the small of her back, applying just the right amount of pressure. Mukesh would push until she caved; he had never been denied.

But she turned to him with round, innocent eyes.

"Mukesh, we can't. It wouldn't be right."

He wanted her now, no matter what it would take. "Marry me, Shanti."

"_Sach_?"

He cursed himself inwardly. This woman held such power over him…

"Of course, _jaan_, but you are right, we need to be careful. This needs to be a secret." Mukesh placed a hand on her cheek, smiling gently. "Our secret."

She smiled back and hugged him tightly, overjoyed.

And so he had her. All to himself. Every night. And it was as wonderful as he had imagined it would be.

The new rising starlet and the industry's most shrewd and savvy producer; their reign had only begun. There was no room for failure. They would take over like a violent storm. If he was smart in his marketing of Shanti, no one would be able to stop them. The wheels were already turning in Mukesh's head. He had a plan.

Om Shanti Om would be the movie of a lifetime.

But things were not perfect, and Shanti was not the coy wife he had envisioned. She threw tantrums on the sets, demanding his presence. She rebuked her co-stars' advances, causing them to storm out of Mukesh's films.

"I can't stand him, Mukesh!" Shanti complained, frustration clear on her face.

He was getting tired of the never-ending drama. "Shanti, please, just listen to me."

"No, you listen to me. If we just told them all that we are married, then no one would be after me. I wouldn't have to deal with any of this." She persisted.

Mukesh placed his hands on her shoulders. "You know we can't do that, _jaan_. Not yet. It's only a matter of time. First you need to become the country's biggest superstar."

Shanti calmed down a bit. "But what do I do about all of these _nakhara aadmi_?"

He flashed her a smile. "Can you blame them? Even Sanjeev Kumar and Jeetendra flirted with Hema Malini, and we all knew they never had a chance…"

"Mukesh!"

He turned his intense gaze on her, cupping her chin. "There's no use in what they do. It's harmless. Because you're mine, Shanti."

With her temper abated, Shanti returned to shooting and Mukesh wondered if maybe he was the better actor.

Shanti continued to rise higher and higher. The two of them were fresh faces for the media to lap up. They had to be careful; their every step was under scrutiny. Mukesh would only meet her after dark, in abandoned buildings and silent parks. Her impatience grew with every meeting and he began distancing himself. He was not here to adhere to her every whim.

She had to learn that Mukesh Mehra didn't answer to anyone.

"When will I see you next?" Shanti asked in the dead of night, playing with the collar of his jacket nervously.

"I don't know. I have to fly to Delhi for a press conference, and I've been invited to the music launch of Amar Akbar Anthony." Mukesh began.

"You don't have to go. Stay here, with me."

"We need friends in this industry, Shanti. I am not going to step on Laxmikant-Pyarelal's toes this early on in my career."

"Is your career the only important thing in your life? What about us, Mukesh? What about me?" Shanti asked bitterly.

He didn't have time to answer foolish questions. "Go home, Shanti. It's late."

Mukesh Mehra was riding his way to the top. Everyone who was anyone in the industry had their eye on him. He knew which stars needed their egos stroked, he knew when to praise and when to bite back, he knew, the moment they turned their backs, their every single weakness.

Nothing would stand in his way. He would rule the industry in a matter of years. He could not be denied.

Until his plans crumbled. And Shanti spoke those two words that would be his ruin.

"I'm pregnant."

There would be no way to hide her now. Shanti would never make another movie. He would be chained to a useless wife and an encumbering child. The scandals and gossip would run him into the ground. There was no way out.

Or maybe there was. Maybe it was a sign. Mukesh had let Shanti take over his life, but he would not let her stand in the way of his success. He had already sacrificed too much. He was not willing to give up. No, the arrival of this baby meant that Shanti had no future ahead of her, but it did not mean that things were over for him.

He would put her out of her misery, seal her fate. He would erase the mark of his mistake and move on. Shanti had no real ambition, but Mukesh was willing to pack it all up and leave, to start over again in a new land. He knew he had it in him; he was never going to be denied ever again.

But first, Shantipriya, rising Bollywood icon, loved by millions, had to die.

It really was a pity. She could have been his star.


End file.
